The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for the 2020-21 season as they look to put the failures of the 2019-20 season behind them. The team did not come anywhere near to meeting the high expectations they had for themselves and they were swept in Round 1.
On top of that, Ben Simmons was not able to finish up the season after he suffered a knee injury in the seeding games that caused him to undergo surgery.
It was a tough season for everybody involved and Simmons is motivated to out the previous season in the rearview mirror. It’s time to move forward and get back on the right path.
“I think the year was tough for everybody,” Simmons said. “The injuries didn’t help, but it wasn’t a normal season. I’m always using it as fuel. I want to win a championship and then from there, keep winning. For me, I’m just trying to get my mindset right, stay healthy, make sure I’m on the floor every night for my teammates, and ultimately win a championship. That’s why I’m here, to win.”
The hope is that the new additions the team made, such as Seth Curry and Danny Green, can help space the floor on the offensive end and give Simmons and Joel Embiid some space to operate. That will help the team move forward and get back on the quest for a title.
“So far, it’s been great,” Simmons said. “I think everybody’s really buying in. Obviously, it’s a new team, a new system, but as long as everyone’s willing to buy-in. I think we’ll go very far. I think the new additions have been great. A lot of leadership from guys who have won championships like Danny and Dwight (Howard). That can only help us. Especially having guys like that. You have to respect them and be willing to learn from them.”
When the season begins on Dec. 23, Simmons and the rest of the Sixers will have a lot of work to do to move on from the failures of 2019-20. A lot of eyes will be on them and it will be an interesting season for it all to work out. [lawrence-related id=39874,39871,39850]